The Interim Constitution of Evmos DAO

Preamble: The Evmos Mission#

We, the Evmos Community, formally declare our shared beliefs and mission to build and assist in growing the Evmos network. We strive to be the leading EVM network in the Cosmos Ecosystem, utilizing the Cosmos SDK modules, Tendermint's consensus engine, and the Inter Blockchain Protocol for a fully decentralized, censorship-resistant, interoperable chain. The Evmos network, our community, and our governance processes must strive to play a role in laying the foundation for a more equitable, hyper-connected, decentralized future.

1. The Evmos Community#

The Evmos Community (“community”) is a general all-encompassing term that comprises various groups that are participants in the Evmos network. The level and degree of participation may vary by group, but the common denominator of all members of the community should be the shared interest in the continued growth of the Evmos network.

1. Protocol Developers - this group of developers focuses mainly on improving the Evmos network on the protocol level; this group includes core developers as well as individual contributors not considered as core team members.

2. Network Validators - network validators are key members of the community responsible for securing the network through the Tendermint proof-of-stake consensus mechanism.

3. Network Delegators - network delegators are the predominant group that assist in network consensus and security by delegating power to validators through the staking of tokens.

4. Workstream and Committee Members - workstream and committee members are those that work to improve and grow the Evmos network on a non-protocol level.

5. Community Leaders - workstreams and special projects, although not required, may have an appointed leader to steward and lead his or her group.

6. Application Developers and End Users - application developers and end users are those that develop, deploy, utilize, interact, transact, and ultimately bring value to the Evmos ecosystem.

While the aforementioned groups make up the majority of the community, the definition and composition of the community are not strictly limited to these groups.

2. The Evmos Governance Framework#

The Evmos Governance Framework (“framework”) is the foundational set of guidelines and processes developed for the community and network contributors to follow and flourish. The framework should be designed to recognize and incentivize contributors and curate a culture that creates long-term, positive-sum interactions between all community members and the Evmos ecosystem.

The framework is to be proposed and adopted separately from the Constitution. The Constitution shall take priority over the Governance Framework and should be regarded as the supreme guiding document.

3. Guiding Principles and Values#

1. Progressive Decentralization: The Evmos network aims to be as decentralized as possible, in the context of network validation as well as governance and finances. While network resiliency and the decentralization of power is paramount, we recognize the need to proceed with strategic and scientific-based planning. The community must not haphazardly rush into decisions that may potentially destabilize the chain or provoke a strong negative community reaction. The community will take the stance of progressive decentralization as we research and analyze the social, legal, and/or financial ramifications our decisions may potential have.

2. Neutrality and Non-Partisanship: We believe in the principles of equality for all and must act in accordance with this core principle. All groups and community members have equal access to information, equal rights, and equal responsibilities, as defined by this Constitution. No one group or community member should be favored over any other members. No one group or community member should be disfavored over any other members. We define “favor” as an unfair benefit that is not a direct consequence of provable effort and actions done, in alignment with our mission and goals. We define “disfavor” as an unfair punishment or loss of opportunity that is not a direct consequence of provable actions done against Evmos’ mission and goals.

3. User-Centrism: Evmos is specialized to provide a unique EVM experience in the Cosmos ecosystem. We must therefore continue to optimize for 1) user adoption and 2) the qualities that contribute to steady growth: network liquidity, improvement of user experience, data sovereignty, stable production of blocks, educational resources, strong governance, etc.

4. Agnosticism: Evmos should maintain neutrality as a chain with roots in both the Ethereum and Cosmos ecosystems. While the governance of Evmos may be reliant from time to time on other networks or tools, the Evmos community should retain a stance of neutrality. Community members must leave tribalism at the door; we should refrain from engaging in political debates that are not directly relevant to improving the Evmos network.

5. Cross-Chain Diplomacy: Evmos is a network with a long history in the decentralization movement, with inspirations, ideas, protocols, and allies in various networks. Our community will come from a wide range of blockchain communities. Cross-chain collaborations, outreach initiatives, diplomacy missions, and continued participation in events are highly encouraged — especially with chains from the EVM and IBC ecosystems.

6. Consensual Collaboration: While the Cosmos SDK’s implementation of governance is relatively permissionless, this does not mean anyone is entitled to work or compensation. Proposals will be assessed by the community on their merits alone and eventually voted on. In addition, proposals must follow the Governance Framework of the Evmos network and adhere to the principles outlined in the Constitution.

7. Sovereignty to Work: The purpose of the Governance Framework is not to micro-manage proposals or teams. Sovereignty will be given to those that are working in accordance with the original proposal passed by the community, and are not in violation of any governance processes or principles of the Constitution.

4. Removal of Community Leaders#

All community members appointed to a role of higher responsibility, including workstream members, may be removed via a formal vote on-chain. The Governance Framework shall outline the appointment, removal, and appeals process, along with a detailed dispute resolution guideline.

5. Constitutional Rights#

Constitutional rights protect the members of the community from any unjust or cruel treatment by another member or the DAO itself. The Governance workstream shall amend a Bill of Rights to the Constitution as soon as a general consensus can be confidently reached.

6. Constitutional Amendments and Revisions#

The community holds the power to propose an amendment to the Constitution by following the standard Evmos Proposal Lifecycle. The reasoning for the amendment must be justified and petitioned. If possible, there should be an attempt made to resolve the issue before a proposal for amendment is initiated.

Validator/Community Code of Conduct and Constitutional Rights

We recognize that this Constitution is missing a few key topics — however, we also see the need to tread carefully in these sensitive and controversial topics. While it is inarguable that these are necessary components of the Constitution, there was clear signaling that we needed more time to allow for the natural growth of the community before we could formally ratify some sections with confidence. We pledge to continue our research and continue to engage with the community to find general consensus on the best step forward.

While some topics will be amended into the Constitution when they are ready, most will likely be implemented through the Governance Framework.